4 Ways You’re Damaging Your Ears

Just because it’s always been done, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the right thing to do. Some standard practices when it comes to your ears, from cleaning to listening, have the potential to do more harm than good in the long run.

The following are some ways in which you might be doing damage to your ears.

Skipping earplugs

Though it might seem like a silly or excessive practice, having earplugs on hand for times when excessive volume or loud noise may occur is a smart move. By skipping out on earplugs when you go to a concert or sporting event or are in a noisy work environment, you’re potentially allowing long-term damage to occur to your hearing.

Excessive headphone use

Headphones, particularly earbuds, are a part of everyday life sometimes – you may even use them for hours at a time while at work or commuting or at home. However, it’s important to limit yourself to only a certain amount of headphone use, particularly high-volume headphone use, per day. Don’t turn the volume up beyond the 60 percent mark and limit the stretches of time in which you use headphones to best protect your hearing.

Infomercial fixes

They may make it seem easy and sensible on TV, but quick fixes like ear candling actually will likely do more harm than good. These processes have been proven to be ineffective in removing excess earwax, and candles have the potential to cause immediate and permanent damage to your canals if they drip or melt into your ears.

Cotton swabs

It’s a tip you’ve probably heard before, but it’s true. No matter how sensible it seems to stick a cotton swab in your ear canal to clean out excess wax, it’s a bad idea for maintaining optimum hearing. You run the risk of rupturing an eardrum or even removing more earwax than you should – you need some earwax for catching dust and debris before it enters the ear.

Good habits

Do the right thing for your hearing – avoid harmful practices and cleaning processes, and you can stave off hearing loss much more easily.